Category Archives: Bahamas

Kylie Jenner was living it up recently during a Bahamas getaway with several friends, her sister Kendall, and daughter, Stormi. The group stayed at a brand-new villa located on Harbour Island, which, according to the Airbnb listing, rents for $10,000 per night.

Known as Rosalita, the sprawling six-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom property comes with all the luxury amenities a billionaire like Jenner has likely come to expect. The main house comprises five bedrooms, all en-suite, and four with outdoor showers and private entrances to either the veranda or the garden. (One bedroom is especially kid-friendly, with two sets of bunk beds.) The master suite features a private terrace with stunning views of the backyard and the bright blue ocean, plus two master bathrooms. Theres also a separate one-bedroom guest villa, decorated in a calming green motif, with ginkgo-leaf-patterned floors and tropical drapes.

The upstairs main living area, which opens out to the veranda.

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Twin staircases lead from the ground floor to the upper-floor veranda, which is a highlight of the home, with its alfresco dining table and cozy lounge area boasting unobstructed views of the sea. Inside the upstairs part of the home, theres a second lounge and dining space set under high, vaulted ceilings with decorative seashell molding. A pair of palm tree statues stand guard over the space. The backyard, which is just steps from the beach and is undeniably the main selling point of the property, features a crisp blue swimming pool surrounded by blue sun beds, a covered blue-and-white-striped pavilion, and a poolside grill. The $10,000 price tag also comes with a full staff that includes a chef, a housekeeper, a pool maintenance team, gardeners, and laundry service.

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Inside Kylie Jenners Lavish Bahamas Vacation Rental - Architectural Digest

Exactly six months ago this evening, Hurricane Dorian slammed into the northern Bahamas. It was the fifth Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in just the last three years. Before that, there hadn't been a single "Cat-5" storm in nearly a decade.There's a growing consensus among scientists that climate change is what's making hurricanes stronger and more destructive. That's very bad news for the Bahamas, a string of more than 700 low-lying islands stretching from Florida nearly down to Cuba, in the heart of what's come to be known as "Hurricane Alley."

But the Bahamas has found a ray of hope - specifically, a solar array - that can help its islands survive future hurricanes. And in the process, it may have important lessons the rest of the world should learn, as Mother Nature continues to brew devastating storms like Dorian.

With sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, gusts above 200, and a storm surge well over 20 feet in some spots,Dorian wreaked unimaginable havoc on the Bahamian islands known as the Abacos.

"There's not enough words in the dictionary to describe what Hope Town looked like after that storm," Vernon Malone told correspondent Bill Whitaker.

Hope Town has been Malone's home for all of his 82 years. His family has lived here since 1785. He's the town baker and grocer, and he and his wife rode out the storm in his store. It survived, but their home just up the street did not.

Vernon's son, Brian, had a home just around the corner. Had a home.

"That's actually two and a half houses," Brian Malone said when Whitaker pointed out a pile of rubble. "Mine's on the bottom."

Hope Town is a Bahamian landmark. Its candy-striped lighthouse dates to 1863 and is pictured on the country's ten-dollar bill. The lighthouse stood up to Dorian, but as we saw coming into the harbor, not much else did.

"I hear generators everywhere," Whitaker said to Brian Malone and Matt Winslow, an American who owns a vacation home on the island. "Is this how you guys are getting through?"

"Yep," they both said.

Winslow told Whitaker why all those generators are still running.

"The substation in Marsh Harbor which feeds us the power's destroyed," Winslow said. "And then, of course, you can see all the utility poles-- are pretty much destroyed. So this isn't a case where you-- you come in and replace some poles, and you flick a switch. This is months, and months, and months of-- of work."

Hope Town is on one of several small islands ravaged by Dorian, which then moved across 7 miles of open water to Marsh Harbour, the largest town in the Abacos. At least 60 people died in Marsh Harbour, and destruction is still everywhere. Total damage and loss from Dorian is estimated at $3.4 billion.

"When you see the extent of the destruction, where do you even begin?" Whitaker asked Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis. "How do you even begin?"

"That's always the question," Minnis said. "Where do we begin?"

Prime Minister Minnis and Viana Gardiner, a top aide, visited Marsh Harbour with Whitaker and pointed to one huge priority: restoring electric power.

"How do you bring this back?" Whitaker asked.

"The power," Minnis said. "We had to make determination to set up micro-grids."

The microgrids Prime Minister Minnis is talking about are small-scale systems. More and more, they're solar arrays with battery storage for when the sun's not shining. They can either feed electricity into the larger grid or operate independently to power a single facility or a neighborhood. The way electricity has been produced in the Bahamas is with diesel-fueled generating stations on each inhabited island, about 30 in all, feeding power to everyone through overhead lines.

"The main power plant for this island is literally 25 miles south of here, Chris Burgess said. "That's 25 miles of line that has to be rebuilt."

Burgess and Justin Locke run the 'Islands Energy Program' for an American non-profit called the Rocky Mountain Institute. They have solar projects throughout "Hurricane Alley." After Category 5 Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, they put microgrids on the roofs of ten schools. Maria also brushed St. Vincent, which has now installed its first microgrid. Now, the Islands Energy Program has come to Marsh Harbour.

"So how big will this solar array be?" Whitaker asked.

"15 acres," Burgess said. "Right through here."

That microgrid will satisfy 10% of Marsh Harbour's total power needs, and will be built right between its government center and hospital, both of which were without power for weeks after Dorian.

"This is high ground, which makes it less vulnerable to storm surge or other types of disaster events," Locke said.

"So if a storm like Dorian hits again, the power to these two critical facilities stays on?" Whitaker asked.

"Correct," Locke said.

The push to build storm-proof solar microgrids in the Bahamas began in 2017 after Hurricane Irma, another Category 5 storm, tore through tiny Ragged Island, at the southern tip of the island chain.

"After Ragged Island was devastated, I made a statement: Let us show the world what can be done," Prime Minister Minnis said. "We may be small, but we can set an example to the world."

Minnis said it's his goal to make Ragged Island a green island.

"Absolutely. After which, we can expand it. We can expand it," Minnis said.

To see the prime minister's green experiment, Whitaker flew to Ragged Island with Whitney Heastie, CEO of government-owned utility Bahamas Power and Light. Engineer Burlington Strachan met them there and took us to what he calls the very first hurricane-proof solar microgrid being installed in the Bahamas.

"Unlike other solar designs, it's very low to the ground," Strachan said. "So this installation is rated to withstand 180 mile an hour winds."

180 mph winds are an even harder punch than when Irma landed back in 2017.

"It was significant devastation on this island As you can see, some of the poles snapped right at the very base of the pole," Strachan said. "That happened throughout the island."

This microgrid will produce enough electricity for Ragged Island's roughly 100 residents. The prime minister calls it a laboratory for the solar future. The past is a diesel generator needing boats to deliver fuel from hundreds of miles away, a system Whitney Heastie says is "a nightmare."

"You know, in summer we're almost on the verge of running out of fuel in some of these islands, because bad weather sometimes prohibits the ships from actually getting to some of these locations," Heastie said.

The Bahamian government spends nearly $400 million a year on imported fuel to keep its power plants running and passes that cost along to its citizens. They pay three to four times what people in the mainland U.S. pay for electricity.

"Right, and that isn't price gouging, Burgess said. "I mean, that's just inherent cost."

Everything costs more in the islands. The bill to install one new solar microgrid on Ragged Island is $3 million. Heastie insists it's money well spent.

"So you have this initial big outlay to build these panels," Whitaker said to Heastie. "But over time, the cost of generating power actually goes down?"

"Absolutely," Heastie said. "By using what God has blessed us with, which is the natural sun."

It's not a perfect solution on Ragged Island; notably, the power from these panels will still feed into the vulnerable overhead power lines; the money's not there yet to bury them.

"One of the first things that I think everyone can agree on is everything has to go underground," Matt Winslow said.

Back in Hope Town, Winslow said they have the funds to bury their lines. Americans with second homes here add a lot to the economy, Winslow's family foundation has donated nearly a million dollars to rebuilding efforts. They already have a makeshift microgrid powering the fire station and health clinic and Winslow has hired engineers to help plan a much bigger one on a nearby island.

"It's possible that over in Great Abaco we could put, you know, a solar array, 18 acres," Winslow said. "That power is piped through... preferably a new undersea cable to the island. And that could be a main source of our power."

Winslow said that would be enough to power the island.

The Bahamas' goal is to produce 30% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. Justin Locke and Chris Burgess of the Islands Energy Program believe the country can do even better.

"The price of renewables have come down to the point where they're now very, very competitive with diesel," Burgess said. "And in most cases, way cheaper than diesel."

"The key game changer has been battery storage," Locke said. "Battery storage has decreased in cost over 60% over the last five years. And what battery storage does is it enables the sun to shine when the sun is not shining. Renewables make more sense here than anywhere else in the world."

And microgrids in the Caribbean are starting to show their value. When earthquakes struck Puerto Rico in January, the entire island's big electrical grid was shut down for days. But remember those solar microgrids installed at schools? They kept providing power. The lessons can really apply anywhere.

"California has the same system architecture as here in the Caribbean, right? Fossil fuel, long transmission distribution lines," Locke said. "And you see that PG&E had to proactively shut off power to millions of people in order to prevent fire."

"If there had been these micro grids might it have been that PG&E would not have had to cut off power to millions of consumers?" Whitaker asked.

"Correct. Correct," Locke said.

Here in the Bahamas there are still huge economic obstacles. Losses from Dorian equal nearly 30% of the country's entire annual GDP.

"You've got this incredible outlay to rebuild these islands that were devastated by Dorian," Whitaker said to Prime Minister Minnis. "Can you afford to bring on a new form of electrical generation?"

"We cannot afford it," Minnis said. "We recognized from day one that we cannot do it alone."

Just weeks after Dorian hit, Prime Minister Minnis spoke at the United Nations. He emphasized that most of the Bahamas was not damaged and eager for tourists, the lifeblood of the economy. Then he said that first-world countries and their pollution are at least partly to blame for the threat of ever-stronger hurricanes.

"First World nations-- and this is what I said at the U.N. I said, 'First World nations make the greatest contribution to climate change,'" Minnis told Whitaker. "They are the ones responsible for the changes that we see. The increase in velocity and ferocity of the hurricanes and the different-- and the changes, typhoons that we see today, but we're the innocent victim. We're the ones that are being impacted by what you have created."

Minnis and leaders of other island nations have proposed that the U.S. and European countries contribute to an insurance fund think of it as a "really rainy day" fund to help rebuild from future storms.

"That's what you say, and what you said at the U.N., the First World nations should do?" Whitaker asked Minnis.

"Absolutely," Minnis said.

But are they doing it?

"It's an ongoing discussion," Minnis said. "It's an ongoing discussion."

"Does this make the change to renewable energy that much more important, imperative, urgent for you here in the Bahamas?" Whitaker asked.

"It is," Minnis said. "Because even though our contribution to climate change is minimal, it's miniscule to compare with First World nation, but we still have a responsibility."

Produced by Rome Hartman. Associate producer, Sara Kuzmarov. Broadcast associate, Emilio Almonte. Edited by Matt Richman and Aisha Crespo.

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Storm-ravaged Bahamas rebuilding its power grid with emphasis on solar energy - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Forget about China, Sweden, or even project Libra. The tiny Caribbean island country of the Bahamas is racing ahead with its central bank digital currency (CBDC), dubbed the Sand Dollar. Pilot projects have already reached two of its largest island chains.

The Bahamian central bank is way ahead of most countries when it comes to launching their CBDCs. In fact, Bitcoinist recently reported that it was on track to have it rolled out to all islands by the second half of 2020.

According to a report today, the Sand Dollar is now available on the island of Abaco. This will give its inhabitants easier access to financial services, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance K Peter Turnquest.

The first pilot project of the digital Bahamian dollar was introduced by the countrys central bank in December. This began in the geographically dispersed islands of the Exumas of which only a few of the 365 islands are inhabited. The project has now been extended to its fourth largest island collection, the Abacos.

Turnquest spoke at the launch of the digital dollar in Abaco saying:

A few months ago, the Abaco islands sustained catastrophic damage to their infrastructure, various economic sectors and the very fabric of their lives Hurricane Dorian was one we will never forget, but it is our hope that through the Sand Dollar, the Abaco islands can find some normalcy again, especially as it relates to their financial sector.

He added the Bahamian government was in full support of this digital innovation and was:

committed to ensuring the success of the Sand Dollar on every island of the Bahamas.

He clarified that the Sand Dollar is the exact equivalent of its paper version, in that it is fully backed by the external reserves of the Central Bank. He also said that for those people who had sustained great property damage and even lost everything, this would give them easier access to financial services.

For example, they can now make payments through their mobile devices without incurring fees in direct peer-to-peer transfers.

Furthermore, the consumers can feel secure as the Sand Dollar offers multi-factor authentication where they can use facial recognition, biometrics or a password to access their Sand Dollar app on their mobile devices.

When it comes to the security and privacy of the transactions he reassured his citizens on two counts.

It is also important to note that the Sand Dollar is not anonymous but it is confidential. The Central Bank is working diligently to ensure the safety and security of every consumer in the digital sphere.

During the pilot projects, one of the key components to be worked upon will be the use of the Sand Dollar with offline functionality. This is something that would be absolutely vital in the case of natural disasters that the islands frequently face. Turnquest said:

The Sand Dollar will revolutionize the way business is conducted throughout our islands. Once again, the Government of the Bahamas is in full support of this initiative and we look forward to the continued roll-out in the rest of the Bahama Islands.

While world superpowers take steps towards launching their own digital currency, the Bahamas is way ahead. It may be able to teach some vital lessons about the effect of currency digitizationfor better or for worse.

Do you think the Bahamas will be the first country to launch a fully operational CBDC? Add your thoughts below!

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Bahamas Races Ahead With Its 'Sand Dollar' Digital Currency - Bitcoinist

Destinations around the world are taking the offensive to battle travel worries and the coronavirus.

The Bahamas put out a statement on the weekend to say there have been no cases in the island chain, while Bologna, Italy put out a video saying the city is open for business.

"The Bahamas Ministry of Health is working closely with the all pertinent government agencies throughout the destination to execute The Bahamas National Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19," officials said in their release. "At this time, there are no reported cases of the coronavirus in The Bahamas."

"The World Health Organization (WHO) does not currently recommend any restriction of travel or trade, and The Bahamas continues to welcome visitors to the destination. The Bahamas is one of the few countries conducting COVID-19 testing and is actively employing several measures used globally to screen visitors and residents and to manage the response to individuals of concern in line with international health best practices. Traveller health questionnaires and a screening protocol are used at ports, hotels and rental properties to identify guests who may require surveillance or treatment."

There are currently only four quarantine cases in The Bahamas.

A destination-wide education campaign is underway in The Bahamas to remind the public of the basic hygiene practices that can be used to prevent the spread of the virus including frequent, proper hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, frequent disinfection of surfaces and avoiding close contact with those exhibiting signs of respiratory illness.

"The WHO (World Health Organization) currently considers the risk to The Bahamas and Caribbean from the coronavirus to be low, but a key element of the IHR plan is to inform the public of relevant updates regularly," Bahamas officials said.

Bologna officials are using the hashtag #BolognaWontStop for their campaign, and said the video they posted is meant to spread a positive message about the city and about the country of Italy.

We strongly believe that it is important to adequately communicate the current situation, the City of Bologna is constantly monitoring the evolution of events but at the moment things here in Bologna are normal and everything is going on as usual, they said. This is the reason why we created the video, following the first one by the City of Milan, to spread the message that Italy, and Bologna, won't stop. We hope that other Italian cities will follow.

I was in Bologna and the Emilia-Romagna region for a week or so several years ago and loved it. The food was spectacular and theres a tremendous amount of history to the area, not to mention lovely wines and beautiful, hilltop villages such as San Leo and Verucchio.

The massive ITB travel conference slated for Berlin this week was cancelled late last week. But officials with the U.S. Travel Association say the annual IPW gathering, slated this year for Las Vegas starting in late May, is full speed ahead at this point.

While IPW is several months away, we're presently on track to host an outstanding event in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 30-June 3. It's "all systems go" and planning for all scenarios is well underway. Registration is strong from both domestic and international attendees, said IPW General Manager Malcolm Smith.

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Bahamas and Bologna Go On the Offensive to Battle Coronavirus Concerns - TravelPulse Canada

Just a hop and a skip (or a seaplane) from southern Florida, Bimini is a pocket-sized island paradise complete with turquoise waters. Proximity to Miami is a mere 50 miles, making it an easy weekend getaway to ultimate relaxation. Tropic Ocean Airways flies out of Miami seaplane base or Fort Lauderdale for a quick thirty-minute flight. A ferry boat runs to the island duo as well, from Port Everglades with Balearia and takes approximately two hours to reach Bimini.

Friendly locals will make you feel more than welcome on this under the radar Bahamian island speck. Whether you fancy a swim, want to try your hand at deep-sea fishingor crave authentic island vibes, Bimini is your nearby destination to check those boxes like the famous visitors, Ernest Hemingway and Martin Luther King Jr.Let these 10 photos guide you through the best way to experience the island...from fresh seafood eats to getting around from beach to beach, this is how to do Bimini.

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Beautiful Bimini: A Photo Guide to the Tiny Island in the Bahamas - TravelPulse

Tyreke Mallory, 21, (left) and Ricardo Jones, 27, are escorted to court on Friday to face murder and abetment to commit murder charges. Photos: Vandyke Hepburn

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

TWO Freeport men were charged in the Freeport Magistrates Court on Friday in connection with the islands third murder.

Ricardo Jones, 27, of No 44 Strafford Way; and Tyreke Antonio Mallory, 21, of No 4 Scott Avenue, appeared before Magistrate Rengin Johnson in Court Three.

Mallory was charged with the murder of Frithzon Kersaint. It is alleged that on February 23, at Freeport, the accused intentionally caused the death of Kersaint by means of unlawful harm.

Jones was charged with abetment to commit murder. It is alleged that on the same date and place, he aided and abetted Mallory in the commission of the murder of Kersaint.

According to reports, police were called to several disturbances in the Caravel Beach area last Sunday when gunshots were heard, and a man was found dead.

Mallory was represented by Paco Deal of Carlson Shurland & Co. Neither of the accused men was required to enter a plea to the charges, which are both indictable offences.

Because the Magistrates Court cannot grant bail for such offences, Magistrate Johnson informed the accused men that bail was denied, but that they could make a bail application to the Supreme Court.

The case was adjourned to May 19 when it will proceed by way of the Voluntary Bill of Indictment.

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Two charged in connection with murder on Grand Bahama - Bahamas Tribune

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#NASSAU, The Bahamas March 4, 2020 The Bahamas Press Club held its Fifth Annual Media Awards Ceremony themed: Media in The Digital Age, in Black Tie fashion at the British Colonial Hilton on Saturday, February 29, 2020.

Theawards ceremony was held under the Patronage of Their Excellencies The MostHonourable Cornelius A. Smith, ON, Governor-General of The Commonwealth of TheBahamas and Mrs. Clara Smith.

Theevening attracted many who laid the foundation for a thriving media professionin the country. There was entertainment by Solo, lots of gifts and prizes.

Anthony Capron, President of The Bahamas Press Club 2014,underscored that from the beginning of time and through the ages, the centralmessage has not changed. What has changed, overtime, is the method by whichthat message is brought to the public.

Communication has transitioned from rock paintings of zigzaglines, dots, and symbols during the Stone Age, to this current era of newcommunication technologies. Now, stories can be typed and transmitted;photographs taken and sent; newspapers read; radio listened to; and televisionwatched from one medium alone: a smartphone, Capron described.

A BlueRibbon Panel of judges spent record-breaking hours reviewing the workssubmitted by the media in various categories including hard news, sports,features, business, politics, investigative, columns, documentaries and socialmedia. The work must have been printed or aired between November 2018 andAugust 16, 2019. The deadline for submission was August 17, 2019.

The Press Club selectedfor the Trail Blazer Award, the Rt HonHubert Alexander Ingraham, Former Prime Minister, for establishing theframework private broadcasting and Cable TV, throughout The Bahamas.

And, the top honour for the evening The Etienne Dupuch LifetimeAchievement Award, the recipient was journalist and diplomat Ed Bethel who began his journalisticcareer in 1959 at the Nassau Tribune under the tutelage of Sir Etienne Dupuchand Sir Arthur Foulkes. He went on to join ZNS as a sports in 1963, and spendmany years there, worked at JCN and other news agencies; a stint a BahamasInformation Services as its Executive Director and served as Consul General to New York and as HighCommissioner to the Court of St. Jamess, London, and Ambassador to theEuropean Union. He isalso a former President of The Bahamas Press Club.

SEEBELOW, THE LIST OF CATEGORIES AND WINNERS:

1 Leon Turnquest Award for Sports Print Journalism

WINNER Simba French Sports Reporter, The Nassau Guardian

2 The Phil Smith Award for Outstanding Sports BroadcastJournalism

WINNER: Jay Phillipe, Sports Reporter, ZNS (NorthernStation)

The Kenneth Nathaniel Francis Award for Newspaper Design andComposition WINNER: Whiteley McKinney, PageDesigner, The Tribune

4 The P. Anthony White Columnist of the Year

WINNER: Rogan Smith Columnist

5 The Leslie Higgs Feature Writer of the Year

WINNER: Jeffarah Gibson Features Writer, The Tribune

6 The Cyril Stevenson Award for Outstanding Political Journalism

WINNER: Genea Noel-Ferguson Editor, Eyewitness News

7 Best Documentary, Television (Long: 30 minutes to 1 hour)

WINNER: Clint Watson Editor/Producer, Eyewitness News

8 Best Documentary, Television (Short: 5 minutes to 30 minutes)

WINNER: Kenton Hepburn DigitalCommunications Officer, and Office of the Prime Minister.

9 Best News Story, Broadcast

WINNER: Apryl Sands, Reporter, Eyewitness News

10 Best News Story, Print

WINNER: Nico P Scavella,Reporter, The Tribune

11 Best Business Story, Print or Broadcast

WINNER: Deandre Williamson, Reporter/Editor, JonesCommunications Network

12 Best Editing for Television News Story or Documentary

WINNER: Shamiko Gilbert, Eyewitness News

13 Best Producer Award, Studio Live

WINNER: Genea Noel Ferguson, Editor, Eyewitness News

14 Best Producer Award, Live to Tape

WINNER: Shanaye Smith, Communications Officer, Officeof the Prime Minister

15 Website of the Year

WINNER: ZNS (Gina Bethel)

16 Social Media Award

WINNER: Eyewitness News, Eyewitness News FacebookPage

17 Best Cinematography (Documentary)

WINNER: Kenton Hepburn, DigitalCommunicationsOfficer, Office of the Prime Minister

18 Best Video Editing

WINNER: Keesha Bethell, ZNS

19 Best Newscast

WINNER: ZNS Northern Station

20 The Bahamas Press Club Student Media Award

WINNER: Anneisha Jones, University of the Bahamas Media JournalismSchool

21 PAHO-WHO Excellence in Health Promotion Award

WINNER: Tosheena Robinson-Blair, Publicist &Freelance News Anchor

Usually hosted in November ofeach year, The Bahamas Press Club 2014s 2019 Awards Ceremony was postponed byHurricane Dorian. As preparations for the November 2020 ceremony begin, TheBahamas Press Club 2014 looks forward to a continued outward expression ofresilience- from members of the media and, overall, The Commonwealth of TheBahamas.

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Media in the Digital Age Bahamas Press Club Stages Awards Ceremony - Magnetic Media

SNOW and flooding failed to stop Keighleys historic locomotive Bahamas as it steamed through the Yorkshire Dales all the way to Cumbria.

The 85-year-old locos latest journey on the mainline, from Keighley to the famous Settle to Carlisle railway, sold out.

The engine, owned by the Ingrow-based Bahamas Locomotive Society, ran successfully on time throughout its entire trip despite poor weather.

Among the passengers on the train were Keighley town mayor Cllr Peter Corkindale and Keith Whitmore, chairman of the Bahamas Society.

Another of the passengers, Keighley-born Sam Steventon, a member of the society, entered the raffle and won the prize of the numberplate 45596 of Bahamas which was carried on the loco.

Bahamas made its long-awaited return to the mainline last year with two sold-out journeys, after volunteers and specialists had spent several years restoring the locomotive with 1 million Heritage Lottery Fund money.

The locomotive was saved from scrap in 1967 by the Bahamas Locomotive Society, which has a workshop and museum at Ingrow West railway station.

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway organised the railtour, spending profits on maintenance of the local line.

Bahamas was built as a standard Jubilee Class in 1934 by the North British Locomotive Company and entered service in January 1935.

It was withdrawn from traffic on July 23 1966 after getting through nine boilers, ten tenders and running more than 1.25 million miles.

Keith Whitmore, chairman of the Bahamas Locomotive Society Chairman, said his organisation had been delighted to once again work with the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway following the sell-out Settle to Carlisle trips last year.

High-profile visitors to Bahamas since its restoration have included HRH the Duke of Kent and the Bishop of Wakefield, Tony Robinson.

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Bahamas braves the elements on mainline trip - Keighley News

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#NASSAU, NP March 4, 2020 As of Saturday, February 29, 2020, the first solar power had been sent to the Ragged Island Microgrid from the solar field near Gun Point, Ragged Island.

Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd. (BPL) Director of Grid Solutions & Support Services Burlington Strachan reported that BPL teams have completed the work to tie in the solar field, and on Friday the first commissioning tests were done on the solar field, with power being sent to the grid for the first time under test conditions.

Those tests were successful, bringing BPL a significant step closer to completing the installation of the first solar baseload generation in our national grid. Next steps include continuous testing of the facility and moving on to installation of battery storage at the generator site. Ragged Islands renewable microgrid is an important first step in The Bahamas energy transition to more cost effective, sustainable and resilient solutions. This project is also one of the first in the Caribbean to feature Category V hurricane resilience and over 90% renewable energy generation.

BPL has partnered with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to assist with implementation of sustainable and resilient energy solutions across the Family Islands. RMI sees the Ragged Island Microgrid as the critical first project that BPL needs to properly operationalise solar and storage as primary dispatch. According to the Institute, the Ragged Island Microgrid sets the perfect precedent for the other Family Islands power systems. The development of the Ragged Island Microgrid supports the commitment of the Government of The Bahamas that Ragged Island would become a green island in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, and the progress of the project was the subject of a recent visit by the renowned CBS News programme 60 Minutes.

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First Solar To Grid In Ragged Island makes '60 Minutes' Appearance - Magnetic Media

Florida resident and conservationist James Abernethy captured video of the moment he gave a lemon shark an affectionate nose rub after he spotted the animal swimming off Tiger Beach, the Bahamas, on July 13, 2019.

The video shows Abernethy calmly rubbing the lemon shark on its snout as other sharks swim by. He later named the animal Nakawe.

Abernethy told Storyful he has traveled to Tiger Beach since 1998 for the purpose of removing fishing hooks from sharks after he first spotted a lemon shark with a missing eye due to a hook that had been caught on its head.

Since that time Abernethy has spent 25 days out of each month hosting shark expeditions in the hopes of teaching people that sharks are not the mindless predators they are portrayed as in the media.

Abernethy stated that he has removed fishing hooks from at least eight species of sharks through his years of conservation work.

Lemon sharks get their names due to their yellow skin color which they use as camouflage when foraging for food in sandy shore areas, according to Oceana. Lemons sharks have short snouts and they typically eat bony fish, crustaceans, and stingrays. Credit: James Abernethy via Storyful

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Lemon Shark Gets a Snout Rub by Conservationist in the Bahamas - Yahoo News UK